CHAPTER SIX

Esra’s brow furrowed into a frown.

“I’m afraid it’s not that easy,” she muttered, hopping over to the lantern while shielding her eyes with her tiny wings. “I’ve tried opening these lanterns and letting the poor glow worms free. But foxes are cunning. By the time I’ve moved to the next one, they’ve rounded up the glow worms and locked them back inside. The light shines brightly again and it’s a big waste of my time. The foxes are watching everything we do.”

Everyone peered nervously into the trees. Could they see two pairs of bright orange ovals again, glinting at them through the shadows?

“Then maybe we split up,” whispered Cassandra. She placed her hand reassuringly on Zia’s shoulder. “I know the Playdate Adventure Club always sticks together, but I actually don’t think we have the time right now.”

“I think you’re right,” Zia agreed. “Even though I’d obviously prefer us to stick together.” She took a deep breath and smiled at her friends.

Cassandra squeezed Zia’s shoulder gently, then drew everyone in closer. “If the foxes are watching, surely this is the best place to start. Thunder and Katy, you could hide close by and wait for the foxes. You can stop them gathering up glow worms and convince them to put an end to their tricks. Zia, perhaps you could join forces with Esra and help gather forest treats. She knows the forest best, so you’ll be safe with her. Here’s my backpack – there’s plenty of space,” she said, taking it off her shoulders and handing it to her friend. “Luca, could you stay here with me and help release the glow worms? If Esra’s right, as soon as we move on to the next one, the foxes will appear – that’s when Thunder and Katy can step in!”

“But how will you find all the lanterns?” Katy asked. “We walked a long way through the forest and this is the first one we’ve seen.”

“I’ve wondered about that too.” Cassandra’s shoulders slumped, but Esra was quick to come to the rescue.

“You can always navigate by the moon,” she explained. “That’s how nocturnal animals travel – by watching the moon and stars. It’s difficult now because the lanterns make it trickier to see the night sky. But the moon is directly above the lake. The lanterns have been placed in a circle around it to make it harder to get there. That’s why you didn’t spot them until you were deep inside the forest. Look,” she said, pointing her wing towards the sky, “the moon’s already entered the Earth’s shadow. That means we don’t have much time.”

Everyone turned their eyes to where Esra was pointing and saw that the full moon wasn’t round anymore. There was a dark smudge covering a part of it – like it was gradually being rubbed out.

“So, if we keep the moon in our vision and walk in a circle around it, we should find all four lanterns?” asked Cassandra.

“Exactly,” Esra nodded, and Cassandra gave the little bird a goodbye hug.

It felt strange going their separate ways, but they didn’t have a choice if they wanted to save the midnight moon feast. Cassandra and Luca watched as Katy and Thunder disappeared into the shadows to sit and wait for the foxes. Zia offered her arm to Esra (she didn’t want the little owl bumping into any more trees), and as soon as Esra hopped on, they hurried off towards the lake to gather forest treats.

The cousins waited for their friends to move further away, then crouched down to inspect the lantern.

“I c-can’t see an opening,” said Luca, picking it up carefully and turning it slowly around in his hands. He staggered for a moment under its weight and size. Almost dropped it. It was made from a cradle of twigs and branches, tied together at the top and bottom with strips of silvery bark.

Katy was right – the light coming from the glow worms really was beautiful. Cassandra had to shield her eyes from the glare. She knew foxes were cunning creatures, but she had no idea they could make anything so clever. She squinted her eyes to find the opening.

“How about there?” she said after a while, pointing to a knobbly bit sticking out from one of the twigs. She held on to the knob carefully with her thumb and index finger.

At once, a little door swung open and hundreds of glow worms tumbled to the ground before scuttling away into the forest. They created a fluorescent, serpent-like pathway, slithering silently into the undergrowth, where they eventually disappeared into the shadows.

At once, Cassandra and Luca were plummeted into darkness – like a light switch had been turned off in their part of the forest.

“That w-was easier than I thought,” whispered Luca, leaning in close to his cousin’s ear. “Do you think the f-foxes are watching?”

“Maybe,” Cassandra whispered back. “Let’s not stick around to find out. We need to get to the next lantern!”

They looked up at the rubbed-out moon above – and Cassandra gasped.

“Why’s it turning orange?” she asked.

Luca creased his forehead in thought. “I think it’s to do with the e-eclipse, and Earth being between the moon and the sun. I’m sure I read that the sun’s light b-bends around Earth’s atmosphere and reflects off the m-moon’s surface, making it glow a different colour.”

Cassandra hugged her cousin tightly, grateful to have him by her side. Then they took one more look at the milky-orange moon above their heads and hurried off in search of lantern number two.

Meanwhile, Katy was hunched low, concealed within a thick bush of thorny branches. Thunder waited patiently between her slippers, peering out through the wings of her dressing gown.

Cassandra and Luca had barely left the clearing when two devious-looking foxes emerged from the shadows.

“I knew it!” Thunder shuddered.

Katy pulled her cat into her arms.

“I know you don’t like foxes. But we’re not here to pick a fight. We need to show the foxes what happens when they play havoc with the ecosystem. Esra’s counting on us.”

Thunder raised his paw in a salute. “Aye aye, Captain!”

Katy grinned. “OK,” she said, watching the foxes root around for the glow worms. “I’d better take that lantern apart so they can’t refill it. I need you to distract them somehow. At least one light will be out of action then, even if those pesky foxes won’t listen to what we have to say.”